Finding Time To Meditate
10-minutes before going to bed?
I started using an acupressure mat before going to bed for 10-minutes to relieve my back from sitting all day. The acupressure mat (aka ‘the bed of nails) was a cheap investment recommended by as self-proclaimed ‘human guinea pig’.
Does it work? I think it does but it could also be a placebo effect. I can’t tell at this point.
But when I’m on it, I couldn’t think of anything else other than the pain of 1000 plastic ‘needles’ on my back. I wonder if I can consider this as a form of meditation. Guided meditations tell you to focus on the feeling or sensation you feel on a specific part of your body (body scan). Sometimes you focus on breathing. Sometimes you focus on the sound – nothing else. Other thoughts may come and go but you try not to give it the attention they want. All you need to focus on is (in this case) the pain of plastic needles on my back. Do that for 10 minutes.
I thought about meditating early in the morning. But I would prefer to ‘read+drink coffee’ or do a quick workout to wake my body up.
Exercise for 15-Minutes 2-Minutes
I wasn’t able to find 15-minutes of my time to exercise even when I get up earlier. I tend to use the extra time to read and reflect. This happens unconsciously. How?
My brain is aware I have extra time. It uses that extra time on things I regularly do instead of using it to do something else or (in this case) create a new habit (exercise).
I think this explains why the closer you live to work, the more likely you’re gonna be late. Because unconsciously, if you live close, you know it doesn’t take you long to get there. But if you live far, you try to leave a lot earlier to avoid unforeseen events in traffic.
Your brain adjusts accordingly. If you have extra time, you relax and take your time. But if you’re running late, you could care less if you half-assed everything.
This must be the reason why the rabbit ended up losing the race with the turtle. The rabbit knew he was 10x faster than the turtle. And since he is 10x faster, there is no reason for him not to relax. He lost because overconfidence miscalculated the duration of the nap he can take. A similar thing happens when you press the snooze button, losing that 5-minutes is ok. Then you rush to get ready for work and start realizing that maybe you should’ve gotten up 5-minutes earlier. Because that 5-minutes in traffic makes a big big difference. I digress…
Going back to the exercise, I was able to do the 70-jumping jacks and 10 push-ups consistently while brewing my coffee.
The set sounds like it’s nothing but the point is not to burn calories, it’s to turn the simple set into my morning habit.
This week, I’m gonna add 10-air squats.
Block Heater Plug
I was running late for work and forgot about unplugging the block heater cord. It was already too late when I realized I had to unplug it – the plug already snapped. This worried me because my car has a weak battery and it needs that extra heat to start my car without squealing. The weather forecast shows it’s going to be colder than -15C for a few days. I had to get it fixed ASAP.
Last time, I got the car dealership to fix it for me for $30. I called to book an appointment but no one was picking up.
As soon as I got to work, I mentioned my morning struggle to my co-workers. One of them (the tool guy) explained how the plug works. It turns out it was a simple fix.
I picked up a replacement plug (for $5) after work and tried to fix the plug myself. With a screwdriver, a pair of scissors, and frozen hands, I was able to fix it.
The moral of the story: Some lessons are hard to remember because the experience wasn’t painful enough.
Bonus: I also learned how AC plugs work.
Naivety
Most of the time, I don’t have any idea what the latest happenings are around me. This includes new trends, words, trivia questions or jokes. I rarely watch the news or pay attention to Facebook feeds. And people love to make of fun of me for that (because it really is funny and I don’t have anything against it).
Lack of knowledge and experience is generally viewed as ‘negative’ but I see it as ‘positive’. Why? I learn more.
People will initially make fun of me but in the end, I learn something new. And that’s a win. Naivety has helped me become more knowledgeable about things, it didn’t make me dumber.
I understand the pain of being called ‘stupid’. It’s bad for the ego. But everyone has an ego.
I understand because I SOMETIMES use my ‘stupidity’ to persuade ego fucks to do things for me. It reminded of The Score…
That movie showed me how people lower their defenses if you only make them feel more ‘superior’ than you.
If you have a weakness you were able to turn into strength, what would it be?